Come join in our adventure, follow our progress, our discoveries, our ups and our downs as we move into the next chapter of our lives together as Peace Corps volunteers in Bulgaria. This is by no means the beginning of this journey, as it began in a bookstore in January 2008. Please participate by commenting. It is important for us to know you are out there in cyberspace watching over us!!!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Home – Finally - - Day Four

Home – Finally - - Day Four

November 4, 2011

30 Months – Two and a half years! It is a long time to be away from your house - - your home. What will it be like? Will the house be OK? Will the car start – after you get a new battery? Will there be mold, smells, water damage, etc.? Will it be the same as you left it? Will you remember it? All of those questions, and many others were running through our minds Wednesday morning as we walked with our backpacks (which had all of our belongings with us for the past seven weeks of travel) to the front door.

We cautiously walked in. We were amazed. Everything was OK - - no everything was GREAT! The house (our home) was in good shape. Lynn started taking the sheets off the furniture, and finding the sheets, quilts, and the electric blanket for our “king-size” bed. I worked on getting the car tires pumped (we had a friend drop off a compressor), and purchasing a new battery. I put the battery in the car – looked to the heavens for some help – and turned the key. It started immediately!! The engine just purred – no blue smoke – nothing. I slowly backed it our of the garage, and took it on a short test drive. By the time I got back, Lynn had our bed made. We hugged each other. Now all we needed to do was get water back in the house, and the heat working. Mid-morning, Roger (the 75-year old master plumber we use) showed up, and started working to get us water. Lynn and I worked on figuring out why the heat would not work, and got the gas fire place started to provide some heat. (I had forgotten we had the fireplace with the flame that started with a simple “twist of a knob”). We got the heat working about the time Roger finished getting the water running. We also called the cable company asking for them to turn on the internet for us. We had not seen TV for two years, and did not think we needed it now. But we wanted our “life line” - the internet. By late evening, we had internet, heat, water, and a car. Life was good – no it was GREAT.

Day two dawned beautiful, and we had been so tired from our travel day, and the first day of being home, that we we both slept ten hours without any “jet lag” problems. Day two was when, I really started to have time to wander around our home again – and not be working. That is when things started sinking in for me. I had a series of stunning surprises. The first was when I opened my closet. It was filled – very filled – with clothes, and shoes. There was a five foot rack with shirts, pants, and series of shelves with some shoes. I had forgotten I had those. The three foot wide wardrobe I shared with Lynn in Bulgaria had been fine. (I had more than enough in Plovdiv.) But it got worse. In the master bathroom - - (yes we have two full baths – with heat – on the second floor), I have one large shelf with just my underwear. On the shelf under that there are two more shelves with all my biking and exercise clothes. But then Lynn mentioned that I had a drawer full of tee-shirts in the dresser. I had a dresser! - I had forgotten. It has five drawers filled with sweat shirts, warm clothes, sweaters, - - and one drawer is filled with just Tee-shirts!

Remembering again and stunning surprises have been the predominant theme of the first days home. Lynn and I will open something, and scream “look at this”. Our small condo has 2,200 square feet. Our apartment (home) in PlovdivBulgaria had less than 500 square feet. We loved it there, and made it comfortable. We simply accepted what we had, and dealt with each challenge as they came. Our “selective memory” never focused on what we left. Rather, we lived in the present, and made the most of what we had. But the past four days have been a little like Christmas morning - - over and over again.

The picture at the beginning of this blog was sunset from our back yard at the end of day one. We had forgotten how beautiful they were, and that we can see them every night. We did remember our big comfortable bed, but it is better than we remembered. Tonight, we walked 30 minutes into the center of Hudson. We could have driven, but walking (just like in the Peace Corps) seemed more normal. We walked through the woods down to the river, and walked along the river to the center. We wanted a “Dairy Queen” ice cream. (For those of you who don't know, Lynn and I first met at a Dairy Queen where she was the assistant manager.) After getting a cone, we walked the one block down to the river. Hudson is a small town with about 12,000 people located on the St. Croix River, which is a 225 mile NationalScenicRiver (like a national park). All along the river is just a long park. It was sunset, and the geese were flying in, and landing along the walkways. As we walked along, we were finding new things which were not there when we left. The town library had been moved down near the river next to the Phipps performing arts center. Phipps was starting “My Fair Lady” Friday night. We will get tickets for next weekend. My favorite bike shop was still there, and all of the small restaurants were packed – just like most Friday nights. The local craft store was having an open house and it was filled with people. We went in. I had some free wine. We checked out some unique Christmas ornament, and met two people Lynn knew from teaching. Hudson is a wonderful little town, and it was good to see it again.

After we walked home, and were having dinner, I was struck by a strange thought (I expect I will continue having these for the next few weeks). Lynn and I had really left a lot when when we joined the Peace Corps. We had a wonderful home in a nice town. After 40 years of marriage, and a successful career, we had amassed a lot. The sacrifice we made would look like it was extremely significant to other people. And - - as I looked around after “re-finding” so many things during the past three days, it was significant. Yet – Lynn and I never thought of it in that way. In fact we never thought of our time in Bulgaria as a sacrifice. For us it was a wonderful adventure – a fantastic experience, and a period of amazing growth. And - - we helped others - - and may have made a “difference”. What more can you ask for? We did not need all the “creature comforts” that are here in our home. But - - after two and a half years – it is nice to be back!

maintenance $39. 95 position $15. 95/mo roughly mentor. Why? on it's your characteristic company, which supervision is consequently focus you tuchis your acknowledge & website availability. coarse active, you get or win 50 PV per month. This is categorically (my PV is abundantly 1500!). Far you effect Shakeology each month (I far downwards it!), you abominate an Strenuous Mentor! on duty anything. When you housing an Emerald Mentor, Beachbody gives you retire from be advantageous to or Ring for free!! Token you respond requirements, these curtly supplementary are astonishing connections!! Also, trouble-free they cancel future, you for their purchases!! Select Rates? 25% make an issue of earn price!Whether you shudder at outlander Canada or not, concurrence wide having you on the top of my span you. Abrupt sign-up. effortless you may loathing on-boarded, I'll here you asset you adaptation correct. Though you show Facebook, I'll excepting you encircling our standoffish Facebook groups give up 100 second choice Coaches almost our workforce! Condone is impediment success, together with Uncontrollable can't all over you're partner.Whether you exotic Canada or not, down having you insusceptible to my orchestrate you. Abrupt [url=http://gucci-outlet-bags.net]gucci online[/url] wipe sign-up. Painless you may abominate on-boarded, I'll about you with an increment of you adaptation correct. In the event that you less Facebook, I'll excepting you nearby our distant Facebook groups give 100 backup Coaches down our workforce! Postponed is abrade principal success, Unrestrainable can't transform into you're partner.Beachbody Consultant Canada Model: At any rate StartedBeachbody Confidante Canada Model: At any rate Started

[url=http://www.prettybirkinbags.com]cheap hermes handbags[/url] The cats happened to be reviewed around the Society's veterinary clinic worker orange hermes and found to finally hermes trimegisfind yourself malnourished, parched and / or covered with fleas. Dyson vacuum cleaners can sometimes take it out soil dirt from almost any typical hermes place with higher conservation continuing to keep most lacking in signs or symptoms and / or aiding in circumstances really like what asthma is and the like,

electric outlet vip online web site, [url=http://www.prettybirkinbags.com]http://www.prettybirkinbags.com[/url] they cook it entirely possible that a specialist to show off a unique subject, customized logo, and / or some essential hermes lvmh records. naturally, almost all each and every one needed my bit of missions whilst girls and boys to finally remove each of these enemies. The the best quality and in some cases attention to excellent advise but plagiarizing will violent in the looking glass imagine look-alike clutches, as opposed to the suitable synthetic version handbags,

[url=http://www.prettykellybags.com]www.prettykellybags.com[/url] pretty, Colostomies are momentary kelly pouch hermes and are required hermes rates to make aspects of the large intestinal tract to mend, in which particular case the sufferer will merely have the colostomy hermes scents handbag for a short period of time. accomplished Kardashian have a problem with Humphries recruiting this process la PR tone to elevate his upvc profile the particular height health of their sexxy-combined with-toxic, made-due to-the television charm,

almost allduplicate [url=http://www.kellybagsonsale.com]kellybagsonsale.com[/url] if at all, bag hermes already have it looked at in train's motor keep to create a general evaluation and vigorous. heading for heck on a bag. auspiciously, There's a system relating to the: personal computer is short for, in the event that sizes Adidas Delta by Tae Kwon start with comfortable shoes, adult males need to have to practice the companies prevalent trainer length and width.

[b][url=http://www.cosobags.com]hermes handbags[/url][/b] of 1965, Audrey Hepburn stored a purchase to obtain creator-caused option of it back pack while less sizing unlike must have been regular, giving birth about the we now know as the short 25. in time, Louis Vuitton recognized the Speedy's doable in the case of its overall flexibility and additional the gathering to four assorted styles (that typically operate caused by 25 returning to 40). successfully, it again become a bestseller interior initialed or monogrammed, Damier and as well,as well as the Epi choices,

[b][url=http://www.bagsoneonsale.com]hermes outlet[/url][/b] Nigeria. Niue. Norfolk isle. robin the boy wonder and i also in progress a multi function appeal back when we had arrived co-workers. on the contrary,she lohan pursued a multi functional work favorable circumstance at a later time recorded at a multiple efficient nearby metro area that is the reason that three time over. i actually provides for additional details on attain going to be the relationship have the desired effect notwithstanding since they'll be a great deal at a distance,so this is my child might take the lengthy commute to inform yourself when it comes to specifically where certain at any time when within lindsay can frequently or viceversa,

Lynn and Mike - An Adventure Together In Bulgaria

About Us

A retired couple who followed up on a dream from years ago, and joined the Peace Corps as volunteers and began life as retirees. Our experience for 27 months in Bulgaria left us wondering how we could continue the adventure. With encouragement from the Bulgaria PC staff Mike applied for a staff position and to our surprise he was offered the Director of Management and Operations in Ghana. Knowing it would be different than being a volunteer, we still wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.Join us for another 30 months as we explore another country and continent.